Preserving, promoting traditional culture of Kho Mu ethnic group

In the context of modern cultural interference, the Kho Mu ethnic people in Cang On hamlet, Muong Va commune, Sop Cop district still preserve and promote traditional values through their costumes, folk songs, musical instruments, festivals and beliefs.

 The ‘Pieu’ scarf of Kho Mu women in Cang On hamlet has its own characteristics.

Cang On currently has 75 households, all from the Kho Mu ethnic group. Every year, the hamlet disseminates the Party's directives and resolutions, and the State's policies and laws on preserving ethnic cultural identities in meetings of the hamlet as well as mass organisations so that people understand and have a sense of preserving their culture. At the same time, the hamlet also pays attention to promoting the role of the elders, hamlet heads, reputable people, and artisans to teach younger generations how to preserve the traditional beauty of the ethnic group through costumes, folk songs, cuisine, the ‘xen ban’ festival in March and the sweet potato and taro festival in December every year.

Currently, the Kho Mu ethnic people in Cang On hamlet still keep their traditional costumes, with ‘pieu’ scarves, ‘com’ shirts, black skirts, belts, headscarves, ‘xa cap’ (footwrap), and chatelaine. Especially the headscarf of the Kho Mu people has its own unique features, because of its colours, brilliant patterns. The technique of expressing patterns on the ‘pieu’ scarf is highly figurative. In addition, local people still keep the sweet potato and taro festival held at the end of a year. This is considered the biggest festival in a year of the Kho Mu people, carrying a profound spiritual and religious meaning.

The festival takes place in each family, with the participation of relatives and locals. Offerings include a boiled chicken, boiled sweet potatoes and taros and fruits, with a wish to invite ancestors to enjoy and bless the family with good luck, favourable weather, and a good harvest next year. The festival is still preserved today, creating a unique and rich identity, carrying profound spiritual beliefs, and featuring the solidarity in the community, families, and clans.

The ‘Au eo’ dance is also one of the unique spiritual features, symbolising the strength of the community, the sympathy between people, and between people and the nature, closely related to the Kho Mu people's belief in praying for good harvests and the desire for love between couples. ‘Au eo’ is a hip-waving, waist-waving dance, modeled after daily labour movements and gestures such as harvesting rice, planting corn, chasing birds, picking vegetables, and scooping shrimp. Musical instruments serving the dance are mainly made of bamboo such as flutes, drums, gongs and cymbals. Cang On hamlet has established a performing team with 10 members. The team regularly practices and performs to serve people in the hamlet and commune, and participates in exchanges at competitions and performances. In addition, women in the hamlet also teach the ‘Au eo’ dance and folk songs to teenagers and children to preserve the ethnic group's dances and songs.

Women in Cang On hamlet, Muong Va commune sew and embroider ‘pieu’ scarves and traditional costumes.

By preserving traditional culture in many ways, along with the awareness of preserving the ethnic cultural identity of each individual, family, and clan, the good cultural straits of the Kho Mu people are believed to continue to be preserved and live forever.

Comment

You have 500/500 characters left

Please enter 5 or more characters!!!

Recent news

  • 'Son La attracts investment in commercial housing and urban area projects

    Son La attracts investment in commercial housing and urban area projects

    BUSINESS -
    With decisive policies to remove bottlenecks in land clearance and to improve the legal framework, Son La province has attracted numerous investors with projects ranging from hundreds to thousands of billions of VND in the fields of commercial housing and urban development. These projects have contributed to transforming the urban landscape and have become a key driving force for local economic growth.
  • 'Services, trade maintain strong growth momentum

    Services, trade maintain strong growth momentum

    BUSINESS -
    Son La’s services sector outperformed its 2025 plan, generating 16.77 trillion VND (638.04 million USD), up 9.5% from 2024, reinforcing its role as a key pillar of the provincial economy. Double-digit growth in retail sales and exports underscored the effectiveness of market-stabilisation efforts and tighter controls on trade fraud.
  • 'Son La honours youth volunteers, keeps alive spirit of Co Noi crossroads

    Son La honours youth volunteers, keeps alive spirit of Co Noi crossroads

    SOCIETY -
    The provincial Youth Union, in coordination with Son La Newspaper and Radio-Television and the provincial Music, Song and Dance Theater, on December 31 staged a programme titled “The Enduring Spirit of Youth Volunteers,” to pay tribute to fallen heroes and youth volunteers who died at the Co Noi crossroads.
  • 'Son La ensures construction progress of boarding schools in border communes

    Son La ensures construction progress of boarding schools in border communes

    NEWS - POLITICS -
    Ha Trung Chien, member of the provincial Party Committee’s Standing Board and Standing Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, on December 31 chaired a meeting on the investment and construction of primary-secondary boarding schools in border communes. The meeting was held in person at the provincial People’s Committee headquarters and connected online to the People’s Committees of border communes.
  • 'Extra efforts needed to accelerate progress of Hoa Binh-Moc Chau expressway project

    Extra efforts needed to accelerate progress of Hoa Binh-Moc Chau expressway project

    NEWS - POLITICS -
    Deputy Secretary of the provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the provincial People's Committee Nguyen Dinh Viet, who is head of the Steering Committee for the construction of the Hoa Binh - Moc Chau expressway section through Son La province, chaired a meeting of the Steering Committee on December 31 to assess the project's progress in 2025 and put forward key tasks for 2026.
  • 'Son La moves to finalise classification of ethnic minority, mountainous areas

    Son La moves to finalise classification of ethnic minority, mountainous areas

    NEWS - POLITICS -
    Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Dang Ngoc Hau on December 29 chaired a meeting of the appraisal council and its assisting team to review results on the classification of villages and communes in ethnic minority and mountainous areas, including the designation of particularly disadvantaged hamlet and the categorisation of communes into Areas I, II and III across the province.
  • ' Zero-VND Market” brings Tet goods to Ngoc Chien

    Zero-VND Market” brings Tet goods to Ngoc Chien

    SOCIETY -
    Nong thon Ngay nay (Countryside Today) Newspaper, in coordination with the People’s Committee of Ngoc Chien commune, on December 28 organised a “Zero-VND Market” to deliver Lunar New Year (Tet) gifts to local residents in 2025, aiming to support households facing difficult circumstances.
  • 'Son La Tourism Contests 2025 awards presented

    Son La Tourism Contests 2025 awards presented

    TOURISM -
    The Organising Committee of the Son La Tourism Contests 2025 held a ceremony on December 26 to announce and present awards. The event was attended by representatives of provincial departments and agencies, as well as authors and groups whose works won prizes.
  • 'Cultural identity of Dao ethnic group preserved

    Cultural identity of Dao ethnic group preserved

    CULTURE -
    Located in Thao Nguyen ward, Ta Loong residential area is blessed with striking natural scenery and a rich cultural legacy of the Dao ethnic community. Amid the pressures of urbanisation and deeper integration, local residents have remained committed to safeguarding traditional values, treating cultural heritage as a treasured asset that enriches spiritual life while laying the foundation for sustainable tourism growth.
  • 'Proactive measures in place to ensure successful spring crop

    Proactive measures in place to ensure successful spring crop

    BUSINESS -
    Identifying the spring crop as the most important production season of the year, the agricultural sector and localities across Son La province are stepping up preparations to secure seed structure, agricultural supplies and irrigation water, aiming to complete planting within the recommended timeline and achieve high yield and quality.